PRESENTATION

ON

Hydrodynamic lubrication theory and pressure development, Stribeck

Curve, Petroff equation, Design calculations using examples
 CONTENTS

Hydrodynamic lubrication theory

and pressure development
Stribeck Curve
Petroff equation
Design calculations using
examples
Hydrodynamic lubrication theory and pressure development
In hydrodynamic lubricated bearings, there is a thick film of lubricant
between the journal and the bearing. A little consideration will show that
when the bearing is supplied with sufficient lubricant, a pressure is build up
in the clearance space when the journal is rotating about an axis that is
eccentric with the bearing axis. The load can be supported by this fluid
pressure without any actual contact between the journal and bearing. The
load carrying ability of a hydrodynamic bearing
arises simply because a viscous fluid resists being pushed around. Under the
proper conditions, this resistance to motion will develop a pressure
distribution in the lubricant film that can support a useful load. The load
supporting pressure in hydrodynamic bearings arises from either
1. the flow of a viscous fluid in a converging channel (known as wedge film
lubrication), or
2. the resistance of a viscous fluid to being squeezed out from between
approaching surfaces
(known as squeeze film lubrication).
Assumptions in Hydrodynamic lubrication theory
The following are the basic assumptions used in the theory of hydrodynamic
lubricated
bearings:
1. The lubricant obeys Newton's law of viscous flow.
2. The pressure is assumed to be constant throughout the film thickness.
3. The lubricant is assumed to be incompressible.
4. The viscosity is assumed to be constant throughout the film.
5. The flow is one dimensional, i.e. the side leakage is neglected.
Wedge Film Journal Bearings
The load carrying ability of a wedge-film journal bearing results when the journal and/or the
bearing rotates relative to the load. The most common case is that of a steady load, a fixed
(nonrotating) bearing and a rotating journal. Fig. (a) shows a journal at rest with metal to metal
contact at A on the line of action of the supported load. When the journal rotates slowly in the
anticlockwise direction, as shown in Fig (b), the point of contact will move to B, so that the angle
AOB is the angle of sliding friction of the surfaces in contact at B. In the absence of a lubricant,
there will be dry metal to metal friction. If a lubricant is present in the clearance space of the
bearing and journal, then a thin absorbed film of the lubricant may partly separate the surface,
but a continuous fluid film completely separating the surfaces will not exist because of slow
speed.
When the speed of the journal is increased, a continuous fluid film is established as in Fig. (c).
The centre of the journal has moved so that the minimum film thickness is at C. It may be
noted that from D to C in the direction of motion, the film is continually narrowing and hence
is a converging film. The curved converging film may be considered as a wedge shaped film of a
slipper bearing wrapped around the journal. A little consideration will show that from C to D
in the direction of rotation, as shown in Fig. (c), the film is diverging and cannot give rise to a
positive pressure or a supporting action.
Fig. 1 shows the two views of the bearing shown in Fig. (c), with the variation of pressure in the
converging film. Actually, because of side leakage, the angle of contact on which pressure acts
is less than 180°.

Fig. 1 Variation of pressure in the converging film.

Squeeze Film Journal Bearing
We have seen in the previous article that in a wedge film journal bearing, the bearing carries a
steady load and the journal rotates relative to the bearing. But in certain cases, the bearings
oscillate or rotate so slowly that the wedge film cannot provide a satisfactory film thickness. If
the load is uniform or varying in magnitude while acting in a constant direction, this becomes a
thin film or possibly a zero film problem. But if the load reverses its direction, the squeeze film
may develop sufficient capacity to carry the dynamic loads without contact between the journal
and the bearing. Such bearings are known as squeeze film journal bearing.
 Stribeck Curve
The operating regimes of different lubrication mechanisms are depicted by Stribeck in Fig.2 by
plotting coefficient of friction verses the non-dimensional factor known as bearing modulus

Fig.2 Stribeck Curve

 Petroff equation
In 1883, Petroff published his work on bearing friction based on simplified assumptions.
a. No eccentricity between bearings and journal and hence there is no “Wedging action” as in
Fig.3 .
b. Oil film is unable to support load.
c. No lubricant flow in the axial direction.
With reference to Fig. 3, an expression for viscous friction drag
torque is derived by considering the entire cylindrical oil film as the
“liquid block” acted upon by force F.
From Newton’s law of Viscosity:

Where F = friction torque/shaft radius = 2 T f / d Fig. 3 Unloaded Journal bearing

A= π d l
U = π d n (Where n is in rps d is in m)
h = c (Where c = radial clearance = 0.5(D-d))
r = d /2
Substituting and solving for friction torque:
If a small radial load W is applied to the shaft, Then
the frictional drag force f w and the friction
Torque will be:

Equating the value of Tf and simplifying, we get

Where r = 0.5 d and u is Pa.

This is known as Petroff’s equation for bearing
friction. It gives reasonable estimate of co-efficient
of friction of lightly loaded bearings.
The first quantity in the bracket stands for bearing
modulus and second one stands for clearance ratio. Fig. 4 Laminar flow of fluid in clearance space
Both are dimensionless parameters of the bearing.
Clearance ratio normally ranges from 500 to 1000
in bearings.
Design calculations using examples